Like the principle of giving a troublemaker or teenager something to do to take their minds off themselves. Take that, my teenager ears!
Many years ago I worked in a state-of-the-then-art building (air circulation & heat recovery system => constant 72-degree temperature, also => basement “don’t call it a pool” heat-sink with changing rooms and lifeguard, also => rapid spread of any airborne infection) which broadcast constant “pink noise” to mask the racket of typewriters, conversation etc. It sounded exactly like aircon fans (the aircon itself was genuinely silent, as all its noisy parts were right by the heat-sink). People would often complain about it, so occasionally it was turned off to demonstrate the effect of its absence; whereupon all typing and talking would cease, and it was peaceful for a few minutes.
Where I work now we have old-fashioned noisy aircon, near-silent keyboards and almost no vocal conversation. Some days it’s eerie.
